It begins with a snap of the head. A little dog circles, nose to the ground, then turns back. It catches the scent again and snorts.
Tiny paws dig in the loose duff. Suddenly, a small white lump is upturned. “Good girl!” cries Melanie Fast, the little dog’s owner.

Melanie lifts the new find to her nose and inhales. “There’s a mushroom smell there, just a really fresh earthiness, fruity, nutty.” She pauses, searches for more words and then laughs. “I can’t get enough of it!”

In her hand is a truffle. Specifically, an Oregon winter white. To be honest, it doesn’t look like much to get excited about: think of a soft, stinky golf ball-shaped lump of fungus. But to chefs and truffle aficionados — this find is culinary gold.